Chapter 247: First Hunt (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Pass)

As Zhang Yi finished his selection, Song Ren unmuted his mic in the voice channel and started speaking.

Although earlier everyone had agreed to keep their mics muted and focus on experiencing the game individually, Song Ren could no longer suppress his excitement.

Even though they hadn't started battling yet, from the appearance of Zorah Magdaros at the beginning, to their arrival in the New World, and the magnificent sight of Astera Settlement, he had been holding back so many thoughts. Not speaking up now would be unbearable.

"Hey everyone, how far have you gotten? Have you picked your weapons yet?" Song Ren's loud voice echoed through the voice channel.

Once someone opened the conversation, others quickly responded.

"Not yet! I'm still reading through the descriptions. There are so many weapons in this game!" Joey replied.

Just like Zhang Yi before, she was now suffering from decision paralysis. The reason was simple—Monster Hunter: World offered players an overwhelming number of weapon choices.

And each weapon was incredibly unique. In games like Dark Souls, although there were different Classes at the start, and each Class used different weapons during early-game progression—such as the Knight's sword or the Deprived's Small Club—their appearances… well, better not to mention.

But Monster Hunter: World was different. Each weapon was like a Class in itself, with designs that were either imposing, stylish, or graceful.

Additionally, each came with embedded move demonstration videos within the game.

Players could directly feel the unique characteristics of each weapon.

For rookie players, whether viewing or trying them out, none felt overwhelmingly powerful—unless they had a particular favorite.

Otherwise, making a choice was truly difficult.

As Joey spoke, Wang Yifan and Wang Han chimed in as well.

"Yeah! I feel like I want all of them!"

"But even though it's just the demo version, maybe we should pick one weapon and get proficient with it now, so our team can settle on our roles by the time the official version launches!"

Everyone was deeply conflicted, completely unsure which weapon to choose.

At this moment, Old Song, the first to speak up, made his voice heard.

"What's there to think about? It's the Long Sword, obviously! What a cool weapon! And look at the beginning of the promotional video—those three Longsword Heroes on the Wingdrake coming to rescue the Hunter who got wrecked by Anjanath. What does that tell you? It means most Hunters use Long Swords, so it must be strong!"

"And the Long Sword is so damn cool! Foresight Slash like the wind, spinning thrust; Helm Breaker, one slice, two halves; skillful turn, confident sheath—so cool it's mind-blowing! One person, one Long Sword, turning combat into a magnificent performance!" Song Ren's voice suddenly dropped, becoming slightly deeper.

Because in his mind, just like Zhang Yi before him, he was mentally picturing the Long Sword's dazzling combat scenes.

Just like in the weapon introduction video, where the Hunter demonstrated its moves.

Two words: Invincible!

Before Wang Han and the others could respond, Zhang Yi was already annoyed.

After all, he had chosen the Great Sword!

Although he admitted that in terms of sheer coolness, the Long Sword did have the edge, that didn't mean it had to belittle the Great Sword!

"Old Song, don't talk nonsense! Those three Longsword Heroes in the promo are clearly just sidekicks, while the Great Sword is the true protagonist! Didn't you see what the Research Team Leader carried on his back in the cutscene? And who got wrecked by Anjanath? It was the others! The Great Sword Hunter was calmly roasting meat the whole time—obviously just summoning his underlings to show them the real deal!"

"Listen to me! The Great Sword is Invincible! Small blade 50, great blade 100,自带霸体威风蓄力—One Great Sword, one legend in the New World!" Zhang Yi strongly hyped up the Great Sword.

Meanwhile, Song Ren and Zhang Yi were locked in a heated debate over whether the Great Sword or the Long Sword was superior.

In the voice channel, Wang Han and the others ignored the two clowns and quickly made their decisions.

"I'll go with Bow and Arrows. It seems really safe to play, and super cool—Arc Shot, Power Shot, Dragon Piercer; each step solid and steady, each arrow from the string pierces the heart!" Wang Yifan announced his choice.

"I'll pick Dual Blades. That Demon Mode looks incredibly powerful, and I saw in the video that you can even spin around on dragons—Red demon, blossoming like a flower, leaves no one within ten steps!" After much deliberation, Joey finally locked in on the Dual Blades.

"I think the Hammer is pretty great. Don't let the weight fool you—when you're holding it and moving, it actually feels pretty fast and agile. Spinning like a top on flat ground, jumping like a fire wheel on slopes, charging up for a headshot in one go!" Wang Han stared at the Sledge, her mind flashing back to the demonstration video—a Hunter wielding the massive hammer and bashing its head in against Anjanath in the promo, an example of unparalleled violence. That settled it—the Hammer was her choice!

With the three of them having made their decisions, the debate between Long Sword and Great Sword supremacy still raged on.

"You two stop arguing! Even though we can't play online multiplayer in the demo version, once the official version launches and we team up to hunt monsters, won't we see for ourselves which weapon is stronger?" Wang Han interrupted Song Ren and Zhang Yi's debate.

After bickering a bit more in the voice channel, Zhang Yi muted his mic, his eyes fixed on the Great Sword strapped to his character's back, heart full of excitement.

It was time to get some practice and test his beliefs through actual combat!

Zhang Yi took the cable car to the second floor's dining area.

There, he spoke with the bun-haired receptionist—his companion.

After a brief conversation, he successfully accepted his first quest in his Hunter career—"Jagras and the Ancient Forest."

The quest requirements didn't seem difficult at all—simply kill seven Jagras.

The time limit was also very generous, a full 50 minutes. Rounding up, that was practically an hour!

Additionally, the receptionist introduced some other relevant details.

For instance, before starting the hunt, one could enjoy a good meal.

Food prepared by the Palico Chef could boost various attributes.

At the dining table, Zhang Yi enjoyed a delicious feast. Unlike in his previous life, where Felyne Canteen meals were essentially just a few repeated materials, Chen Xu had thoughtfully enhanced the visual presentation of cat meals in this version.

Each meal made from different materials had its own unique visual representation.

Combined with high-definition modeling, watching his character devour the steaming, mouthwatering cat meal made Zhang Yi feel hungry himself.

Soon after, well-fed and refreshed,

a Wingdrake suddenly flew in from who-knows-where, and the Hunter grabbed its leg, soaring into the clouds.

After about two or three seconds, breaking through the clouds, the Wingdrake carried him to the expedition camp in the Ancient Forest.

There, the receptionist and the Research Team Leader were already waiting.

After a brief exchange of dialogue, the receptionist remained at the camp, while the action quest required the Hunter to follow the Research Team Leader.

Following the instructions, Zhang Yi retrieved some complimentary supplies from the item box nearby.

Then, he followed the Research Team Leader, setting off on his very first hunting journey.

<>